


Soccer family

by J_Antebellum



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23343877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Antebellum/pseuds/J_Antebellum
Summary: Series of sorta one-shots of Krashlyn's family life. What if Ashlyn decided to retire and get pregnant while Ali was being the USWNT's star?Just some light-hearted vignettes, a bit comical, to help you deal with these daaaark times ;)
Relationships: Ashlyn Harris/Ali Krieger
Comments: 14
Kudos: 56





	1. The moment of truth

**Author's Note:**

> 8 Chapters written so far, will write more if they come to mind. Thanks to @dovebuffy92 on Tumblr for the idea!

**Chapter 1: The moment of truth.**

They didn't have it all thought out, but in that moment, I didn't really matter. They were on the top of the world. Who cared?

Ashlyn and Ali had been dating since early 2011 and had married after a short engagement, the last December. They had met just months before in the end of the previous year, and now they had recently bought their first house together in Orlando, after a short time living in the house Ashlyn had bought when she first went to Orlando alone, but that wasn't big enough for a family.. Nobody except their teammates, family and friends knew they were together, until the moment they married and publicly came out. Ever since, it had been a rollercoaster of happy, adrenaline-filled emotions and excitement.

It was the last play of the final game in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Ashlyn was about to take the final of the penalty kicks round. The USWNT had scored 3 penalties against Sweden, which had scored 1. The USWNT had already had four rounds out of five, and Sweden was about to have their fourth round out of five, which meant that, if Ashlyn stopped this one, the USWNT had won. They wouldn't need the fifth round. They'd have 3 goals against 1, winning the USWNT, as then, even if the USWNT didn't score the 5th penalty and Sweden did, it'd still be 3-2 and the USWNT would still win.

So the entire stadium held their breaths and Ashlyn stretched her arms, warming-up her joints and pacing around the goal posts, not like a scared, insecure goalkeeper, but like a lion who had become the new legend of the team after Hope Solo, and was glaring at their enemy, defending the post. Like the other four teammates who had been kicking penalties, Ali stood with them watching, arms around each other, and Ali smiled knowing Ashlyn thrived under pressure, seeing the way the goalkeeper stared at the ball. She had this. She was ready. And before it happened, Ali knew they had just become gold medallists.

The stadium roared. Ashlyn had done an incredible stop, jumping and when it seemed like her arm couldn't fucking reach, that it was too far, she gave a shout and threw her left arm out like a lash, hitting the ball with the tips of her fingers and keeping it from the net before she fell with a thud.

And Ali was running, screaming, full of adrenaline.

“YOU MADE IT BABY! YOU MADE IT!” she didn't care if she was recorded. All she wanted was to get to her girl, it was what the whole team wanted.

And Ashlyn was there, slowly getting up, holding onto her arm, which Ali suspected she might have stretched a bit too hard, her shoulder might need some icing... but Ashlyn beamed through the pain and there they were, holding each other tight, crying and screaming in victory. Back to back winners. World Cup Champions the year before, together, and now gold medallists together.

Ali didn't think much of it later in the locker rooms as Ashlyn iced her shoulder and slipped some painkillers in her mouth.

“I'm all right,” Ashlyn insisted to her concerned teammates, her eyes glassy from excitement. “It'll pass, I guess I just pulled the muscle a bit. It'll pass, I'll be fine.”

“You were amazing out there babe, I'm so proud of you,” Ali whispered to her ear, and squeezed her ass with no one seeing, making her blush. “I had no doubts, I knew you'd do it.”

“You bet'cha.” Ashlyn winked.

But in private in the shower, Ashlyn let herself feel the pain, and she sobbed. She did it quietly, so she could pretend it was out of happiness, but she did it nevertheless. Her shoulder was screaming in pain. And she knew she had torn it badly. She knew with her past history of shoulder injury, she would never play again.

**. . .**

It took a week before it became too obvious for Ashlyn to hide it anymore. During the Olympic medal ceremony, Ashlyn had kept her arm on a loose sling and an ice bag under her jacket, keeping her shoulder iced, and told to anyone who asked that she had pulled the muscle a bit and was using the sling to rest it while it iced. Two days later at a hospital check-up in Houston, where the team flew together before each went to their own places, Ashlyn had the necessary scans and tests and came back to the team saying she'd need minor surgery to repair a bit of a tear, but that it'd be fine. She was assimilating the news herself, not ready to reveal the truth to anyone, not even Ali.

And then a week after she had torn her shoulder and big time fucked it, she had a shoulder cast, a sling, and a scheduled surgery the following week, and was one-handedly helping Ali unpack from her moving into the house where Ashlyn had lived for a while now, in Altamonte Springs, north Orlando.

“It's going to be so cool to win the NWSL together,” Ali was rambling excitedly. She had been playing with her there all season, but this was one of those boxes that weren't important to unpack back in the day, and now it was time, they were sick of living between boxes for nearly six months.

Ashlyn couldn't talk. Just thinking of abandoning the team she was captain of, her hometown team, it broke her heart and shattered it. She'd never win the NWSL with them. She was both furious and depressed and she felt her surgeon was right; this was grief in its five stages. She had passed denial and half-passed anger, bargaining had flown by with the simple realization that there was no way to bargain with this, and then she was in depression. And she felt this one would last a while.

“Ash, babe, are you there?” she had disconnected from what Ali had been saying.

“Sorry, what? I lost focus for a second.”

Ali frowned, worried. She had been giving her _that look_ for the whole week, she suspected, for sure, she wasn't stupid. She knew Ashlyn too well, there was no way she could hide from her.

“Is it hurting again? Do you need another painkiller?” Ali rushed to her, leaving her position by the bookshelf, where she had been stacking things, and raising a hand to Ashlyn's arm. She was gentle, delicate, only touched her lower biceps, and yet it somehow caused pain, and Ashlyn flinched. “Sorry! I wasn't touching your shoulder, how...?”

“It's just very sensitive, it's fine. They'll fix it next week,” Ashlyn lied. “Some rehab for a few weeks, and I'll be right back behind you on the field, where I belong.” But she couldn't lie to Ali's face, and when she looked away, Ali knew. She felt the ice bucket in her head straight ahead, but then compassion took over, and she knew Ashlyn needed her.

“Ash, come on,” Ali pleaded, putting a finger under her chin so her wife's hazel eyes would lock with hers. “What's going on? Tell me the truth.”

“You know what's going on, I need surgery, I hate hospitals, I hate needles, I hate surgery, makes me nervous,” Ashlyn wasn't really lying, not entirely at least, but she still tried to avoid Ali's glance. And Ali had enough.

“Come here,” Ali took her right hand and guided her to their bed to sit there together. Then Ali took her hand in hers. “Would you look at me?”

“Ali...”

“Look at me,” Ashlyn bit her lip, but nodded and looked at her. “Good. Ashlyn, I know you're lying to me and I don't like—,”

“I'm not—,”

“Stop it,” said Ali firmly but softly. “You keep doing it and it's only worse. I know you have a very good reason to be lying, or at least you think you do, so I'm just going to say it. You don't. I am your wife. I am here with you, to do life with you, for better or worse, and forever no matter what. And for that, you have to be honest with me, and there's no reason to lie, 'cause whatever you're hiding, it won't make me love you less, or respect you less, or think any less of you.”

“You sound very sure of yourself.”

“I am. Ashlyn, I love you, I'm in this with you for life, there's no way I'm going anywhere. So please, just tell me the truth. Did you cheat on me, is that it, are you having an affair?”

“What?!” Ashlyn scandalized, indignant. “Absolutely not! No!”

“Then what is it?” Ashlyn sighed and looked down. “Ash, babe...” Ali squeezed her thigh pleadingly.

“I will never play soccer again. Ever,” Ashlyn blurted out at last. “Happy?”

  
  



	2. For better, for worse

**Chapter 2: For better, for worse.**

Ali's eyes widened in shock and for a moment her expression was priceless, until the truth sank in and she felt tremendous sadness and worry all at once.

“Is that bad isn't it?”

“I tore ligaments, muscle, tendons... everything that could possibly tear, it's torn,” Ashlyn grumbled. “And I've already had two surgeries in this shoulder Ali, my arm is pretty much hanging by a thread now, the doctor said even with the best surgeons, rehab programs, etc., that if I can achieve average function after the surgery, it'll already be quite the impressive accomplishment. But stopping more hard balls? No. That's done. Even a bad hit on the shoulder would already need major surgery at this point. No, if I ever want to hold our children Ali, wisest decision is to just give up and try my best to recover average normal function and that's it.”

The defender took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second, assimilating the news. No wonder Ashlyn hadn't been able to tell. Ali, who had had injuries that normally would be career ending, understood. Sometimes it was so big, so hard to gulp, that one couldn't even say it out loud. And now it looked like Ashlyn was fighting not to crumble in tears, so Ali held her as carefully as she could, rubbing circles on her back.

“I didn't mean to lie to you Ali, it's just,” Ashlyn started sobbing. “My career is over and I'm not ready t-t-to talk a-about it, okay?”

“Okay,” Ali kissed her temple softly. “I've got you Ashlyn. We'll figure this out together, whatever happens, I'm here. You won't go through this alone, I'll go with you to rehab, I'll help with your exercises, whatever I can do. And together, we'll get your shoulder to be quite good, all right? Even if you can't play professionally anymore.”

Ashlyn nodded and leaned into her arms, crying freely. Ali held her as tight as she carefully could, feeling incredible sadness for her and yet knowing she had to stay strong now. For her.

So the night before the surgery, Ali did her best to keep Ashlyn calm and in high spirits, all the way to the moment they bid farewell right before the surgery. And when she woke up afterwards, Ali was there, holding her hand.

“Hi there,” Ali smiled at her sleepy, groggy face. “How does it feel to have a bionic shoulder?”

“Right now I can't feel anything,” Ashlyn murmured, trying not to slur. “How did it go?”

“Pretty well, the doctor said with proper rehab you could play ping pong without overdoing it, for sure, and hold your kids one day, maybe even play some basketball with them. Just no stopping Carli Lloyd's kicks for sure.”

“Yeah...” Ashlyn sighed, her brain hard to get back to work after the anaesthesia. “Will you still love me if I'm not a goalkeeper anymore? If I'm no longer the successful, brilliant keeper you fell in love with?” she whispered insecurely. Ali smiled sadly, caressing her face.

“What a stupid question. Ashlyn, there isn't an universe, nor an alternative reality, in which I could ever not love you. You are my girl. Forever. Besides, we always knew we'd have to retire eventually... we just hoped for a retirement game, for some glory, but you know what? Your last game was quite the epic game so you can be satisfied there. You gave us the gold medal. You became the hero. People will be talking of that save for ages. And I will always,” Ali moved to kiss her lips, “always,” another kiss, “love you and support you and admire you. You're still my number one babe, understood?”

Ashlyn smiled small, eyes half closed.

“Forever?”

“And ever,” Ali grinned. “And you will be our children's number 1. No matter what.”

The goalkeeper smirked at that, smug.

“I'll be the number 1 and you'll be the two? You'll give me that?”

Ali hadn't realized of that and for a moment her jaw dropped in shock but then she gave in and smiled, nodding.

“Of course. How else would it be?”

There was a knock on the door and Ashlyn's doctor peeked.

“Hi, I'm sorry, would you mind if I check on Ashlyn's shoulder now?”

“Absolutely not,” Ali stood up. “I'll have some coffee. Be a good patient, love you, see you in a bit uh?” she kissed Ashlyn.

“Enjoy! Love you...” Ashlyn waited until the doctor finished examining her shoulder and checking how it felt for now, and then knew exactly what she wanted to ask him. “Doc, do you think it'll be good to... to hold babies?”

The doctor couldn't help throwing the head back in laughter, but nodded.

“Sure thing, we'll get that strength back and then you'll be holding babies in no time. Why, have any special plans with your girl?”

Ashlyn smirked small.

“I'm hoping for it...”

The dreams Ashlyn was building in her head were enough to keep her positive and optimistic for the incoming weeks. She trained as if she was going to still be a goalkeeper, only with a bit less intensiveness, but the same for the rest. She trained hard, did her rehabilitation, and a month later, when August came, she had resolve in her mind for one thing only as she ditched her sling once and for all.

“Look at that,” Ashlyn was bragging, holding her nephew Jenson, a toddler, with his recovered arm and smiling proudly. “No pain, all comfortable, it's going well! High five kiddo!”

Ali laughed, shaking her head, but had to admit it felt good to see she was doing better and better, and not losing her smile. For a moment there she had really feared Ashlyn would sink, emotionally and mentally speaking.

But secretly, Ashlyn was plotting. She was talking with her therapist, getting help to close one chapter of her life and preparing herself to start another. And when September came, two months after her injury and with her shoulder quite recovered, although she was still doing recovery exercises, two months away from soccer, it became the moment to take the first firm step and make a firm decision.

“Wow, Ashlyn,” her Orlando Pride physical therapist seemed content after her last session of the week, grinning while she, all satisfied, used a towel to wipe her sweaty face. “You know, I really think you could actually make it back to the goal. Your shoulder's recovery has been impressive, all against all odds.”

“You think what?” Ashlyn was so not expecting that. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him with her hazel eyes fixed on him, serious.

“Ash, have you seen the weights you're lifting, the way your shoulder feels when it moves, the fluidity of movement? Anyone will agree with me that you could perfectly well be back training with the National Team next week if it's what you want. Doesn't it make you happy?” he added, seeing her lack of enthusiasm.

“It's not that,” she hurried to clarify, “it's just... shock. I had accepted it was over.”

“If you had, you would've announced it. You left the door cracked open, now it's time to make a decision for yourself, without being forced by your circumstances. Do you want to open the door again or... close it?”

The question weighted in Ashlyn's mind so much that the moment she made it back into the car, she phoned her therapist. But the professional didn't have that much talking to do. Turns out that, deep inside, Ashlyn knew exactly what she wanted to do. She had always known. There was only one dream in her life she hadn't actively pursued yet, and it was time for it.

Upon arriving home, Ashlyn was greeted by their puppy Logan, the dog they had just gotten merely a couple weeks before. The dark brown Mastiff Cane Corso would grow to be a big dog capable of pushing her mommas with her front paws, but now she was a cute little thing that fit in Ashlyn's hand and that adorably clung onto her ankle as Ashlyn hung her jacket in the hall's rack.

“Hi baby girl, hi you cute little thing,” Ashlyn grinned, taking the dog in one hand and letting her lick her face. “I'm home babe!”

“Here I thought that cute first greeting was for me,” Ali joked from her position sitting on a stool by the kitchen island, on the laptop with a glass of wine, when Ashlyn entered the room.

“You get better,” Ashlyn kissed her, wrapping an arm around her. “You're my precious princess.”

“Uhm... that is better,” Ali conceded, accepting a second kiss. “How did rehab go?”

Ashlyn put the dog down and went to the fridge.

“Really well,” replied Ashlyn, getting herself a coke, feeling like bubbles. “Jackson says I could actually get back to the game, even at international level, by next week, if I wanted.”

Ali's jaw dropped and she got up in excitement, beaming, happy for her.

“Baby that's so good! Congratulations!” Ali hugged her tightly. “There really is nothing you can't do if you set your mind to it. I'm so happy for you!”

Ashlyn smiled small.

“Yeah, it's great, he said my shoulder has done an incredible recovery, against all odds, that it's so impressive and wholesome.”

“And why don't you look more excited?” inquired Ali using a knowing tone, with her arms around her waist. Ashlyn sipped from her coke and sighed, shyly.

“Would you still love me, and not think any less of me, if I still decided to hang my gloves? Even if I had the option to continue playing? Would you think I'm a coward?”

The defender was first surprised, but then became understanding and sighed, shaking her head.

“Ashlyn, what do you think?” Ashlyn shrugged. “Seriously? When is it going to engrave in your head that I love you, not because you're a goalkeeper, but because you're an incredible person inside out? I'd never think any less of you for going after what you want, even when what you want changes with time, and I'd absolutely never see you as a coward. Just answer me one thing. If you hang your gloves, will you still be the kind, gentle, supportive, loving woman, who thrives to be her best, who helps anyone whenever she gets a chance, who loves talking with strangers to make sure they're okay and show her support, and who puts her voice at the service of those who are ignored, that I fell in love with?”

Ashlyn nodded, offering a small smile.

“Of course.”

“Then we're good,” Ali pecked her lips. “So is that it? You really want to retire now?”

“It's complicated, but... yes, Ali. I've been talking with Shamara for two months know always about the same thing and in the end I always come down to the same conclusion,” Ashlyn explained. “Was it incredibly hard to accept it was over? Yes. But I did. And then I began to think of all those dreams soccer always postponed, I've done it all in soccer Ali... but now I feel the thrill for a new adventure again, the excitement of starting to write a new chapter... and I don't want to look back. Besides, I should see this as a warning. I was lucky it wasn't a career ending injury but there's no way my shoulder will survive one more blow like that... and my knees and all... this was the warning, this was life saying retire now, walk talk, choose yourself how it goes instead of life choosing it for you. And I get to still keep a decent body for our kids to wreck.”

Ali chuckled at the mention of their offspring.

“And our dogs.”

“And our dogs.”

“So,” Ali wrapped her hands around her neck, playing with the small hairs in the back now that her long, dyed platinum hair was back in a tight bun, “what's got you so excited? What are you planning? Because we already got a puppy.”

Ashlyn couldn't help but smile so excitedly it rubbed on Ali.

“Ali?”

“Yes?”

“Let's have a baby.”

  
  



	3. I'm all about the babe!

**Chapter 3: I'm all about the babe!**

Ali was so shocked at the unexpected request, even when they had been talking about when and how to start their family for ages, that for a moment she couldn't find a word to say. But Ashlyn kept her excited grin, with her bright eyes full of joy, and she could hardly argue.

“A baby? Now? But baby I can't get pregnant now, I still want to play more... you know I just need that NWSL Championship to feel fully satisfied before retirement with my career. And how are we going to adopt or foster now? They'll want to interview us, see our house... I highly doubt they'll approve the frequency with which I travel.”

“I know,” Ashlyn nodded. “I thought of all of that. And then it gave me an idea. Ali, I'll be here, bored to death, nothing to do while you travel around and all. I'll probably work in some design or dunno, whatever, it's not a hurry now but... what if while you work your ass off on the field for another while longer, I could do some work to start our family? Team work, right? You bring the money, I make us a firstborn.”

Ali's jaw dropped.

“Are you saying what I think you're saying?”

“Let's get me pregnant! Think about it, we have three years before the next World Cup, what better moment than now? By Christmas next year we could have our little muffin, and you could afford to get a maternal leave without it sinking your World Cup chances or majorly affecting your career in any other way.”

The defender needed a moment to think it through, but it was like having three excited children jumping up and down and giving you pouty lips begging for a puppy. She couldn't possibly refuse.

“It's true it'd be a good moment but Ash, where does this come from? Are you sure? You never said you wanted to be pregnant...”

“I know it's a big changing my mind and all but don't worry, because for the past two months Shamara and I haven't stopped discussing it and it made me realize Ali, I truly want this. It truly makes me excited. Of course also scared shitless I mean, it's pushing a person out of a very tiny hole and I do have bad knees but... maybe it's meant to be this way. I just—,” Ashlyn beamed, looking all dreamy. “I think of taking the baby to support you and see your games, with their mini jersey with your name on the back, I think of being a stay at home Mum while you kick some ass, I think of finding out my new career while having so much time with our baby... and I get so excited, I get like tingly inside... my heart is not on the game so much anymore Ali. It's on this.”

“Are you absolutely, hundred percent sure about this?” Ali needed absolute certainty.

“Completely, yes,” Ashlyn insisted, putting her coke down on the counter to wrap her arms around Ali's waist, pressing their foreheads together. “Baby I've done so much research with Shamara. In two weeks you'll finish the season, and then you can go through hormonal treatment while I get check-ups to ensure everything works great, and then we can get eggs from you, fertilize them in the lab and I could be pregnant by Christmas! And then our child would be born far from championships, so it wouldn't affect your career at all and I would get to enjoy my summer and have my body back on track to enjoy the next summer surfing the waves. See? It works out on its own!”

Her childish like excitement was rubbing on Ali and she couldn't stop a giggle from coming out.

“You've really thought this out, haven't you?”

“Yeah! Babe, we've been discussing this forever,” Ashlyn leaned back to look at her in the eyes, “we're not getting any younger. We have a home for our kids, we have time, opportunity, our economy is more than prepared, we have a puppy to teach our baby some manners, and parents dying to be grandparents... what are we waiting for?”

Ali bit her lip in thought, but then grinned and nodded.

“All right miss,” Ali agreed.

“Yeah?!” Ashlyn couldn't contain her happiness.

“Yeah. Let's get ourselves a Christmas baby.”

Ashlyn kissed her and hugged her with such enthusiasm she lifted her up. She was just so excited, and life was going to be so good she could hardly believe it.

That said, making a baby was actually complicated when you didn't have it so easy as to starting the road with the bang of an orgasm. After a disappointing championship loss, Ali started her hormonal treatment dying to get some good news. It made her moods up and down and for a week, she was a wreck and Ashlyn was starting to wonder what had she done to deserve it, but eventually she settled down and by autumn, when Ali was going to an USWNT camp, they had a fertilized egg that Ali had just enough time to see get implanted in Ashlyn's womb.

“You go,” Ashlyn insisted zipping up Ali's jacket at the airport, where Ashlyn had driven her after the doctor's appointment. “I won't take the pregnancy test without you.”

“Anything you feel, promise you will tell me, if you think it worked...”

“We'll stay in touch. Pinky promise,” Ashlyn kissed her hard on the lips and Ali buried her hand in her wife's hair. Ashlyn had recently chopped off all her hair and had it short and in her natural dark colour, exciting Ali to unbelievable extremes. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Ali grinned before kissing her again. “I can't wait to come home and get the test.”

“Me too,” Ashlyn pecked her lips once more before giving her the bag she had been carrying for her. “Take care, say hi to everyone from me, feel good, play great, and try to score some goal for good luck.”

“I'll try, I'll miss you!” Ali had only walked away two steps but she was already returning for another kiss, one final grin as she waved to her first camp without Ashlyn in ages, and she got into security.

Ashlyn beamed. Normally she'd feel heavy in the chest if she was saying goodbye to Ali and going back to an empty home for a two weeks camp, but this time, she was full of excitement. This was going to be incredible.

Back home, Ashlyn didn't know what to do to contain her excitement and her impatience with the IVF process. It'd be days before she could know if today was successful, if unbeknownst to them, their future firstborn was growing in Ashlyn's womb, and she no longer had soccer to entertain herself. She had told her teammates and staff at Orlando Pride and the USWNT, had celebrated her 100 caps with the Pride just before leaving for the off season, played some last games... and that reminded her she did have to announce it publicly. She had been given permission to do so.

“Shit Loggie,” Ashlyn looked down at her puppy, standing on the middle of the living room. “I have to tell everyone...”

She hadn't had a celebratory last game in the Pride, even though she had played a few final games, but simply, she hadn't wanted to. Having her 100th cap was enough to feel celebrated and loved, and now she felt that as the captain, saying goodbye was too hard and ceremonies and all would only make it harder. Besides, she didn't need the honour and the applause. She'd leave as a leader, in the dark, after a job well done, without anyone's applause.

Ashlyn sat and began to write in her laptop, trying to make the right words. It took her several attempts, but at last, she made it.

“Dear fans and soccer world,

I joined my first soccer team, a junior's local team, in 1990, after my 5th birthday. My Nana gifted me my first pair of gloves for my birthday, and to this day, I still got them. That was twenty-six years ago. Twenty-six years devoted to soccer, the sport that has become my whole life... and now I'm saying goodbye.

This is understandably hard for me, because soccer has just meant so much, enough to ditch my family (which everyone knows is otherwise my main priority always) on multiple occasions. Soccer saved my life. Soccer took me out of poverty, brought me a chance to get help for my mental health, took me out of addiction to Adderall, gave me an University degree, a lifetime of incredible friendships to call family and unforgettable experiences in my memories, and some of the greatest honours of my life, like World Cups, Olympic medals, playing for North Carolina Tar Heels and, bigger than anything else, being the Captain and Goalkeeper for the Orlando Pride, in my beloved state, for the past two years.

I wish I had more years. I wish we could keep the fun going forever. But being a goalkeeper is so risky for the health, and I have gotten to the point in my life where I feel I've done it all with soccer (I'd have loved a NWSL championship with the Pride, but I'll live) and now it only makes sense to go after all my other dreams before I play so much that it completely ruins my body and wrecks it for the other dreams it has yet to pursue. And to be honest... I'm so bloody excited about this next chapter, biiitch!

So I have decided it's time to retire. And I do this with a huge smile on my face despite the understandable sadness. But life is still going to be awesome. I'll continue to use the platform soccer gave me to try to make this world a little better, and I'll continue to be here for you, but more than anything, I will focus on being the best wife I can be for the greatest thing soccer ever gave me, my wife, US defender Ali Krieger.

Because being a wife is the greatest honour of my life... and now I think it'll pair up nicely with being a mother, and getting to raise the goalkeepers of tomorrow.

The best of life is yet to come.

Thank you all for everything. Much love,

Ash xx'

Ashlyn updated the full statement on her social media, even if it had to be as screenshots sometimes, and in her website, and next, she took a deep breath, actually feeling quite tired.

“Okay...” she patted her belly. “Let's go have a nap, uh, peanut? Mama will call us when her flight lands and we will tell her how much we love her and we miss her already.” She cuddled on the sofa, hugging her belly, and tightened the sofa blanket around herself, quickly letting her hairy baby snuggle with her. “Hi Loggie-Logan... okay now we close our eyes uh? And we sleep a little bit.” She kissed the top of her little soft hairy head and closed her eyes.

Dreams could not possibly be better than real life.

  
  



	4. I'm positive

**Chapter 4: I'm positive.**

Ali called Ashlyn every day twice a day, and for the first week and a half, Ashlyn had no news. She felt normal, she felt fine. She did her jogging, some of her exercise routine, researched pictures of baby rooms for inspiration, walked Logan... but she felt nothing extraordinary. And then, one of the final nights Ali was going to be away and after having gone to bed late staying up watching her wife play on the telly with Logan snoring on her lap, Ashlyn woke up in the middle of the night with the most extraordinary urge to throw up.

She ran for it, and made it just in time to empty her stomach in the toilet right next to her room, which instantly woke her up. Normally Ashlyn hated, really hated, needles, hospitals or throwing up, all things she had had to do for this pregnancy and would continue to have to do, but just for one time, Ashlyn smiled after the fifth time she hunched over the toilet seat to deposit her dinner.

Once she was sure she was done throwing up, which took full fifteen minutes, Ashlyn slowly walked back to her room, after having brushed her teeth, and lied down in bed, snuggling before phoning Ali. Where Ali was it was two in the morning, but she knew Ali would answer and indeed, Ali's sleepy and worried face appeared at the second ring.

“Are you okay? What's wrong?”

Ashlyn grinned. They saw each other's faces in tones of grey for the lack of light, but it was okay.

“Everything is more than okay babe.”

“What do you mean?”

“My love, I've just been throwing up for fifteen minutes.”

Ali frowned, utterly confused as her sleepy brain tried to put two and two together.

“Are you okay? Did you eat something— oh,” her eyes widened in realization and Ashlyn grinned. “Oh! Are you...? Are you pregnant?”

“Either that or I'm suddenly intolerant to lactose,” Ashlyn beamed. “Baby I can feel it. We did it. We made it.”

Ali beamed, squealing.

“You're pregnant. We're having a baby.”

“I'll buy a few tests tomorrow. We're doing this the second you're back.”

They actually had to wait a couple days, but at last, they entered the house after Ashlyn picked Ali from the airport with Logan, and Ashlyn was practically running to the toilet.

“Ali for the love of God I've been throwing up two days, I've drank a whole bottle of two litres of water before picking you up, I need to pee now!” Ashlyn was rambling as they hurriedly entered the house, left Logan on the floor, and Ali locked the door, putting her things aside while Ashlyn ran upstairs to the bathroom where she had left the tests.

Ali ran after her and frowned when she found the door locked.

“Ash! I'm gonna miss it!”

“Babe I am not letting you stand here watching me pee, it'll ruin our sex life and besides, your tiger eyes would probably scare the pee back inside,” Ashlyn murmured from inside. “I'll open the door when I'm done peeing on a stick. Or should I dip it in the pee?”

“No! Ew, Ash!”

“This is ew? You're going to love it when the baby's born then...”

Ashlyn unlocked the door at last and they both stood, glaring at the sink, where three sticks were lined up as they waited.

“It's gonna happen,” Ali hugged Ashlyn from behind, kissing her shoulder. “Either that or we have to take you to the hospital for a stomach check-up, so it has to happen.”

“Yeah, Mummy cannot afford digestive issues now that I don't have dietary restrictions.”

“You know, I have a good idea to distract ourselves while we wait. We could watch our wedding video.”

“Yes,” Ashlyn nodded. “Give the sticks time. Get your phone, come on.”

They held each other watching their video, trying not to think of the sticks, just focusing on the beauty of the video and the memories, and at last, both of them fixed their eyes on the sticks at once.

“Together,” Ali took her hand and they stood up from their place sitting on the edge of the bathtub. They walked to the sticks together and looked. None of them said a word for a moment, and then Ashlyn just had to throw up, and as she bent over the toilet and Ali rubbed her back in circles, it all exploded. “Cheer up babe, YOU'RE PREGNANT!”

“I am! Uh, not again...” Ashlyn threw up some more and then stood up, brushed her teeth, and raised her arms up in victory. “We made it!”

“We made it! Come here baby,” Ali wrapped her arms around her and excitedly kissed her. “Rawr, the things I could do to you right now...”

“I know,” Ashlyn smiled against her lips. “But you'll hold on right? I don't want to come so hard the baby slips out.”

“You know that can't actually happen right?”

“Yeah but what if? We should wait until the second month or so, you know, when it's big enough it won't slip out.”

Ali watched her in horror as she left the bathroom and returned to the bedroom.

“You intend to go without sex two months?!”

**. . .**

“And this one... and that one...” Ali watched in astonishment as Ashlyn continued to throw stuff into their shopping cart, each more against their regular sports diet than the last. Chocolate biscuits, chocolate syrup, gummy bears...

“Babe, not to object your judgement, you're the pregnant one and I'm sure you know what you're doing,” Ali said carefully, because Ashlyn's hormones and cravings had been wild now with the first month completed. “But don't you think you could use some more healthy foods? You know, so our baby doesn't come out made of chocolate?” she tried to use a joking tone to avoid offending her in any way.

Ashlyn's hazel eyes locked with her and she frowned, looking down at her cart, before unexpectedly starting to cry.

“You're right I-I'm a horrible m-mother,” Ashlyn sobbed out, tears falling down her cheeks. “C-can't even feed t-the baby decent-ly,” she hiccuped and cried, dragging people's attention. Ali panicked and hugged her.

“Baby you're not a horrible mother, I promise,” Ali hugged her tight. “It's just the hormones and the cravings, is not you... look, we'll make a deal, you provide the naughty table for our baby,” she motioned for the chocolates, “and I'll provide the veggies, uh? Together we make a balanced diet. Is that okay?”

Ashlyn sniffled hard and looked at her with glassy eyes and a pout, nodding.

“Can't I s-still get chocolate sticks?” Ashlyn asked with a baby voice lifting the little box with guilt in her eyes. Ali chuckled and kissed her lips.

“Of course, get anything you want. You're doing amazing sweetie.”

Their gynaecologist and obstetrician, Dr Amelia Percy, insisted that there were many women who had none of the classical pregnancy symptoms and went through it with complete ease, others that had some symptoms here and there, and others who seemed to have them all with the full force and intensity of nature. And Ashlyn fell into that group. She had hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition that made the nausea ten times worse than usual, so when she wasn't sleeping like a dead man, or eating like a castaway, she was throwing her guts out, which didn't make her the most delighted about pregnancy at the moment, and made hiding it ten times harder.

“You bitch let him on the board!” Ashlyn cried out that evening as they watched _Titanic_ -a horrible idea Ali was so against but Ashlyn really, really wanted- snuggled on the sofa with Logan. Ashlyn had been crying and laughing intermittently, sometimes yelling at the screen, changing emotions with an ease that sometimes made Ali giggle under her breath -notoriously afraid of her pregnant wife's wrath if she thought she was laughing of her- and now she was hugging Ali's torso, leaning against her while Ali played with her hair and kissed the top of her head, feeling her own t-shirt wet with Ashlyn's tears. “She's gonna let Jack die! Bitch, he's ten times better than you!”

“I'm sure in real life they did the best they could so everyone could hang in there as long as possible,” Ali commented, intending to help, but it caused the opposite effect.

“Oh my God you're right this was a real event!” Ashlyn suddenly shrieked, scaring Logan, who jumped off the sofa to run upstairs. While Ali stared at the dog and whispered 'Take me', Ashlyn was already sobbing and rambling about the tragedy of the Titanic and all the babies that died in it.

At last, Ali managed to put her wife to bed early, after a healthy dinner in which she convinced Ashlyn to eat broccoli, one of her favourite veggies that now during the pregnancy she suddenly hated.

“Close your eyes,” said Ali softly tucking the blankets around her wife and kissing her lips softly. “And have sweet dreams, my love.”

“You'd never let me freeze to death while you occupy a board all on your own, right?” Ashlyn murmured sleepy. Ali chuckled and shook her head.

“Never,” Ali kissed her again. “I'm your knight in shinning armour.”

“Good,” Ashlyn smiled, eyes closed. “This pregnancy thing is exhausting...”

Ali sighed.

“Tell me about it,” she murmured, but Ashlyn had fallen asleep. Ali smiled and shook her head, kissing her again before going to her side of the bed.

Ali had no idea how at the rhythm Ashlyn was behaving they were going to hide the pregnancy during Thanksgiving dinner at their house, because they had been wanting to hide it until Ashlyn reached the two months and then the chances of a miscarriage went down dramatically. At this rhythm, Ali figured everyone would know within five minutes in their house.

“Stop tugging your bra sweetie, or everyone's gonna know,” Ali murmured impatiently as they cooked together for the big occasion.

“I can't help it, my breasts feel so weird!” Ashlyn complained. Her shirts were starting to feel tight in the chest, and even Ali, who never really cared about Ashlyn's breast size, had discovered herself surprisingly staring at the cleavage line that had started to appear, more often than not.

“Just three more weeks,” said Ali wrapping her arms around her from behind and kissing her shoulder. “Then we can tell everyone.”

“Okay...” Ashlyn sighed. “What's that awful smell?”

“The turkey in the oven?” Ali's jaw dropped. “Babe you cannot hate turkey now!”

“I'm just saying...” Ashlyn scrunched her nose. “It's not awesome...”

It wasn't that big of a deal if their family found out, but still, Ali had hoped they would make it, because she knew their family. Understandably, everyone would get so hyped if they found out about the pregnancy, and if then with all the hype Ashlyn had a miscarriage, Ali didn't think she'd stand the low blow.

So when Kyle hugged Ashlyn as he came in and commented with a joking tone how the retirement was making Ashlyn's breasts bigger, Ali felt every bit of herself tense up. And then, while eating, she couldn't stop wondering if everybody noticed what she noticed. The way Ashlyn's skin seemed brighter, her face a little rounder, her arms a little fuller and her breasts certainly bigger. Did anyone else see the way in which Ashlyn couldn't help but subconsciously put a hand on her belly now and then? Did they see how Ashlyn hid little burps now and then when heartburn took over?

Still, Ali was so proud when Ashlyn made it through most of the dinner without giving any big signs of pregnancy, and they almost made it, when suddenly Tammye opened the cake she had made for dessert. A cake everyone always loved and demanded, starting by her daughter Ashlyn, but that now, suddenly, made Ashlyn nauseous. And Ali knew it the moment the smell hit her -a normally delicious smell, but strong- and she looked up at Ashlyn in panic and saw how firmly she was pressing her lips together.

“Uhm, just one second,” Ashlyn stood up and started to walk normally to the bathroom but suddenly she was running for it and Ali knew she had to run after her or everyone would instantly know by her lack of concern.

“I'm sorry,” Ali grimaced as Ashlyn hunched over the toilet for the third time in a row. “Ugh, there goes the turkey...” she affectionately rubbed Ashlyn's back, knowing just how much being sick made Ashlyn sick.

“I hate this,” groaned Ashlyn. “Now I'm hungry...”

“We'll do what Dr Percy said and give you frequent mini dishes, we have leftovers for ages,” Ali kissed the top of her head. “Go brush your teeth, I'll make up some excuse.”

Ali returned to the dinning area feeling like a soldier on a mission. Whatever she said or did now would determine their success.

“Is she okay?” Tammye asked, obviously worried.

“Yeah was she throwing up?” added Christopher, Ashlyn's big brother.

“She's all right,” Ali nodded, her brain thinking fast for an excuse. “She just...” her eyes then locked with Tammye's, as hazel and beautiful as her daughter's, and she knew she was screwed. She could see the excitement in Tammye's eyes and she forgot the rest of her sentence and then Tammye squealed.

“Oh my God!”

“What?” Christopher and Mike, Ashlyn's Dad, asked in unison.

“Oh my God!” Tammye squealed again when Ali's silence further confirmed her reaction. And then Ali didn't give any more fucks anymore. She finally smiled and nodded. “Ashlyn's pregnant!”

“What? How?” Mike was severely confused.

“Oh!” Debbie had also realized and brought her hands to her mouth in surprise. “Oh my God for real?”

“Okay, all good people,” Ashlyn appeared, oblivious to the commotion. “Gee, must be those biscuits I ate before, I knew they smelled—,” she stopped herself, seeing Tammye's beaming grin, the confused and surprised faces, and Ali standing there looking like Logan when she destroyed toilet paper on purpose and then felt guilty about it. “Oh my God,” Ashlyn puffed, looking indignant at Ali. “You had one job Ali!”

“I'm sorry, she's your Mum, she figured it out on her own, I didn't say anything!”

“You're pregnant!” Tammye ran to hug her daughter tight and Ashlyn snorted a laugh, hugging her back.

“Yes Mum, you're gonna be a Nana!”


	5. Boy, this is for real

**Chapter 5: Boy, this is for real.**

Ashlyn giggled at Ali's sexual drive after the brunette had granted her three orgasms before it was even breakfast time and now was kissing and massaging her back, her hands sometimes coming up front to cup her grown belly. She had been gone two days for a game in Seattle, and arrived last night full on missing her five months pregnant wife, and now Ashlyn was enjoying the upside of having a wife who travelled a lot for work while she made a human being.

“I swear you are incredible,” Ashlyn rolled over, grinning at her wife. “You're like a dog in heat.”

“As if you didn't love it,” Ali rolled on top to kiss her, her smaller breasts brushing with Ashlyn's engorged, sensitive ones, and making them both moan. “I can't get over how sexy the fifth month is baby...”

“Am I sexier now or before pregnancy?”

“Oh don't do that to me,” Ali pouted, sucking down her pulse point and making her moan. “You're the sexiest woman alive always, period. This is just novelty.”

“Ah, I see...” Ashlyn was going to tease her, but Ali's skills made her stop thinking for a moment. “I guess... that's good, yeah, oh God yes...”

A shower was a must afterwards, having had breakfast in bed before they had to go to a doctor's appointment for the baby. They showered together, and Ali helped Ashlyn shave a little just to keep up because Ashlyn's vanity wouldn't let her feel good with the extra hairs she was accumulating with pregnancy, when she was too big and tired to keep up. Then Ashlyn left the shower first and when Ali followed, wrapping a towel around herself, found her wife carefully brushing her teeth and very sensitive gums, one of her big hands supporting her belly as she stood in her underwear.

“Babe you're in flames,” Ali playfully slapped her ass.

“Have you looked at yourself?” Ashlyn chuckled as she spit out the foam. “You still got abs.”

“Who needs abs? Making a human is way sexier,” Ali couldn't help taking a picture of them, grinning sheepishly.

“My belly button is going out,” Ashlyn noticed, rubbing her belly. Her tattoos on her side and under her chest were also stretching, as in the last month her belly had experienced quite the prominent growth.

“It'll go back inside,” Ali kissed her cheek. “Hurry up love, I can't wait to hear our angel baby!”

Today they were finding out the baby's gender and hearing its heartbeat for the first time. They had initially planned not to know the gender, but now it had become exhausting to refer to it with everything but its name, so they figured the sooner they knew the gender the sooner they could find a name for it. And the excitement was palpable.

As they waited in the hospital's waiting area for Dr Percy to call them, Ali took a look at Ashlyn and grinned, playing with Ashlyn's little double chin. She had always had a tiny bit of it, because of genetics, but now that her face was rounder it was a bit more obvious and Ali found it adorable.

“Stop it,” Ashlyn murmured with amusement.

“So cute! I can't help it if you're adorable,” Ali kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Ashlyn squeezed her hand. “Couldn't do this without you.”

“I'm sure you could,” Ali hugged her arm and kissed the scar on her shoulder. “I'm just lucky you chose not to.”

Hearing their child's heartbeat while staring at its tiny, moving body on the screen was surreal. Ashlyn cried and Ali beamed so big her face hurt, and that wasn't even all they had yet to see.

“Ladies, you're having a healthy, beautiful son,” Dr Percy announced with a grin.

“A boy?” Ashlyn snorted a laugh.

“A boy!” Ali chuckled. “Our son.” She kissed Ashlyn's cheek excitedly.

“First male in the house,” said Ashlyn full of amusement, squeezing Ali's hand. “Wait till we tell Logan she's having a baby brother! She's our puppy,” she added looking at the doctor. “We're all girls in the house.”

“Well then we have a strong feminist in process,” Dr Percy joked. “He's completely fine, his heartbeat is healthily strong, all is going well.”

“Fantastic,” Ali grinned. “Oh my God I can't wait to be the mother of the guy who gets the Men's National Soccer Team the first few gold medals. We got a champ in the process.”

“My wife is very competitive,” Ashlyn joked, giggling. “And we're in the middle of a feud to get equal pay. It's just so complex.”

“I see! Well whatever this little boy becomes, I bet it's good, he has good DNA after all.”

Returning home, the couple couldn't stop themselves from passing by the mall. Lately they pretty much lived there, and now that they knew they were having a boy, Ashlyn had so many ideas for the baby. Not that she would've chosen clothes that were too different if it was a girl, but Ali would've probably tried to get everything pink and now Ashlyn could reason they needed other colours as well.

“I'm getting all the mini bowties,” Ashlyn declared packing their cart. “And grab that teddy bear; I want it.”

“For you or for our son?” Ali joked. Ashlyn snorted a laugh.

“Darling I have yet to decide that,” she said, making Ali laugh. They felt so drunk in happiness it was unreal.

“Can't wait to get mini soccer outfits. And mini gloves. You think we can get your Nana to knit him some gloves?”

“I think we can get my Nana and his Nanas to do anything, they're drooling,” Ashlyn showed her the screen of her phone, where she had opened the message groups of the family to tell them it was a boy, and now everyone was commenting non stop. “Part of me wishes it was a girl though. Next USWNT generation.”

“I'm just happy he's healthy. Besides, he might get to his teenage years and discover he was a she all along,” Ali shrugged. “In any case, God knows the men's need some proper defenders... what do you think?” she lifted a tiny shark jumpsuit.

“The fact that you even need to ask is offensive,” Ashlyn pointed at the pretty full cart, motioning for the jumpsuit to come in. “And you mean goalkeeper babe. We're having a goalkeeper.”

“He has my DNA, I'm only saying...”

“Shit no,” Ashlyn frowned all of the sudden and Ali worried.

“Are you okay? What's wrong?”

“We're having a hairdresser...” said Ashlyn, thinking of Ali's big brother Kyle, who was a hairdresser in LA, and a filmmaker. Ali couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Free haircuts for life babe!”

“Oh,” Ashlyn nodded slowly, smiling. “All right!”

They lifted the bags into the car full of shopping while Ashlyn sang the baby shark song, and as Ali drove in front of the animal shelter, Ashlyn suddenly stopped her, eyes glued to the shelter.

“Park.”

“What? We're miles—,”

“Park. We're getting a puppy.”

“We have a puppy.”

Ashlyn glared at her and pointed at the animal shelter.

“I want a French bulldog.” Ali felt cold sweat dripping down her neck. Her pregnant wife could be very demanding.

“But sweetie we can't just go get another puppy, we're having a baby. We need to buy a second doggie bed, think about it for a few days, consider the op— oh no,” now Ashlyn was starting to cry.

“I'm making us a baby! I'm pushing a human out of my vagina!” Ashlyn cried. “And all I'm asking in return is another puppy! And you refuse it to me well you know what? They're going to kill the little things there, and their sweet little eyes will lose life without even a woof while you consider—!”

“Okay okay we're getting a puppy,” Ali moved to park. “Just calm down, please.”

Ashlyn took a deep breath and sniffled.

“I'm just being kind and saving another puppy from the shelter...”

Ali had absolutely no idea how they made it home, because Ashlyn fully intended to grab every puppy in the shelter and cried when Ali got firm -much to her own sadness- and restricted things to one puppy. She had to explain things to the shelter worker; they had one dog, were expecting a baby, but Ashlyn had wanted a French bulldog her whole life and now she was hormonal, all over the place, with emotions that weren't really her own but she promised they'd keep the puppy forever. And so eventually they made it home with the most adorable French bulldog, which they baptized Storm after a surprise visit to the vet, and seeing Ashlyn's happiness with the dog on her lap coming home, Ali couldn't help but grin and shake her hand. Her wife could absolutely get anything from her these days.

But Storm really was cute. She was all rolls of hair, with a big tongue out most of the time, still so young she didn't have teeth, and had one dark eye and a blue one. And Ashlyn was whipped by her, absolutely. Logan took things a bit roughly at first, feeling confused and neglected, but Ali made sure she still felt loved and forced Ashlyn to have two hours of cuddle time with both dogs at once the moment they arrived home, while she put the baby stuff away and cleaned around.

Ashlyn was going to drive her to drinks.

But when she returned to the living room, she melted, knowing it was all worth it in the end. Ashlyn had fallen asleep snuggled in the sofa, with her t-shirt rolled up to give her belly some air, Storm nuzzled against her chest, snoring strongly and with her tongue out, and Logan sleeping against the side of her belly, with one of Ashlyn's large hands on top. They looked so cute Ali couldn't help but take a picture for her social media.

'I guess Baby Shark and Momma Shark can get anything they want from me. Including more puppies. Lemme introduce you to Storm, Baby Shark's newest big sister. #AshCriesWhenISayNo #NotSayingNo #Ever'.

Another of the novelties of having a baby was that Ali had to start cooking once and for all. And Ashlyn left it crystal clear one night Ali woke up with an insistent finger poking her between the ribs.

“What?” Ali said sleepy, eyes closed.

“The baby wants a hamburger,” Ashlyn said. Ali opened her eyes, tuning the lamp on, and checked her watch.

“Now? But it's half past four in the morning and I've got training tomorrow babe...”

“All right,” Ashlyn sat up. “I guess I'll do it myself then, 'cause it seems like I have to do it all, don't I? I make the baby, I put my body on the line out of love for our son,” said Ashlyn dramatically, standing up, “and I still have to push him out, which is the most painful experience there is, have him attached to my nipples for a year or two... but of course my wife loves us so much she can't even get up at half past four in the morning and cook a hamburger for her starved, hungry—,”

“All right, fine,” Ali jumped off the bed. “How does our son like the hamburger?”

Ashlyn sat back down in bed and lied back tucking the sheets around her and closing her eyes, full of dignity.

“One slice of meat, double lettuce, tomatoes, some corn, cucumber, double bacon, and mayonnaise. Make sure the meat is well cooked but not too hard, my gums are sensitive these days.”

Ali looked indignant at her.

“Cucumber and corn? What? And what about ketchup?”

“And pronto love, please,” Ashlyn yawned. “Momma Shark is sleepy.”

Ali puffed, leaving the room. She loved Ashlyn, she truly did, but she could not wait until the baby was out and her wife returned to her normal self, if that person still existed in her hormone-consumed love of her life.

“You won't kill her,” Ali told herself under her breath, trying to get her eyes used to the light. “Remember you love her. And she's giving you a son. Keep calm.”


	6. Never alone

**Chapter 6: Never alone.**

Ashlyn had never been so tired in her life. Now that their son was big in her belly, every little move he made was felt tremendously, and that without counting his kicks and punches. She could hardly sleep with something moving so much, even in his tiny space, and specially when it was night time. And now Ali was in the middle of the NWSL season, quite busy between games, then international games and then AK Football Camps, and she was starting to feel lonely and depressed and moody and couldn't wait to have their son out of herself.

“Ashlyn? Where are you?”

Ashlyn opened one eye as she heard her wife. Tired of being tired, Ashlyn had finally moved to the rocking chair in the baby room, rocking herself to slumber with her arms around her now eight months big belly.

“Over here!”

There was the rush of jogging around the house and then the door opened and Ali smiled sadly, compassionate, seeing the exhaustion written all over Ashlyn's face, from her dishevelled hair that had grown to a short mane, to the bags under her eyes.

“Still can't get some sleep?” Ali gently asked, kneeling on the floor by her side and softly caressing her cheek.

“He only sleeps during the day,” Ashlyn closed her eyes, leaning against her touch. “He then tries to move through the night, and since he doesn't have space, he keeps punching and kicking places with the slightest of movements.”

“Aw, I'm sorry babe,” Ali moved to kiss her temple. “Would it make things better if I prepare you a hot bubble bath with some hot relax herbal tea, and then carry you to bed afterwards?”

“Carry me to bed? You do know how much weight I've gained, right?” Ashlyn snorted a laugh.

“Come on...”

“Okay,” Ashlyn sighed. “Just don't make me move until it's ready, I'm dying here.”

“All right,” Ali kissed her softly. “I'll handle it. And you be good to Momma, Maverick.” Ali patted her belly softly and left.

Ashlyn stared sleepily at the empty crib in front of her. In a few weeks, Maverick Kyle Krieger-Harris would be occupying that crib, becoming the first great-grandchild to her beloved Nana Eunice, as neither her brother nor her two Harris cousins had children or were even married. Furthermore, Ashlyn had a feeling that Maverick may never get a cousin in his life, but she'd make sure that at least he had plenty of siblings.

Lowering herself into the tub, Ashlyn could tell she was huge. Her back hurt, her neck hurt, her legs and feet hurt, and there were swollen places and tender places and veins popping out and everything. She wasn't feeling her prettiest, a feeling intensified by the fact that she hadn't paid much attention to keeping her facial and body hairs neat, not even the hair on her head was as neat as she always kept it, but to be honest, she was too tired to care. She tried following recommendations from Sydney and other pregnant or mother friends or relatives, but she was just a bit older than the average to be pregnant, and she was different.

“Remember when we decided to give our son a name that literally means unorthodox, independent, dissident?” Ali commented softly as she grabbed a stool to sit on and started softly washing Ashlyn's hair while the former goalkeeper simply lied there closing her eyes. “Maybe we did this to ourselves. He's being dissident and doing things his own way...”

“Maybe it'd be less of a problem if I wasn't so alone in this,” the comment came out of Ashlyn's mouth without thinking. She didn't mean to start a fight. She didn't mean to make Ali feel bad. But lately she was just so frustrating and the exhaustion didn't help her to stay calm and happy.

“You feel alone in this?” Ali frowned, but kept her tone as peaceful as she could. “What else am I supposed to do for you that I'm not doing? Or for our son?”

“You work all the bloody time Alex, you're hardly here,” the unleashed anger encouraged Ashlyn to keep going, gave her a new-found energy.

“I'm hardly here? Ash, you had the same career I have, you know it takes hours of training, practice, games... and still, I'm training home more often than ever before in my life babe, don't be unfair,” Ali gently rinsed her hair. “I've been here five afternoons and evenings a week too, nobody I know who ever had a child had a partner who stayed home as often as I do to take care of their pregnant spouse.”

“Right, whatever. Help me get out of here, I need to go to sleep.”

Ali scowled but had no choice than obey and help her out. She wrapped a big towel around her wife and kept her arms around her, rubbing the towel to dry her while letting Ashlyn support on her.

“Slowly, let me guide you,” Ali wrapped a strong arm around her and kept her supported as they walked to the bed and Ali helped her get dressed and dried her hair before Ashlyn snuggled in bed.

Because sometimes the former goalkeeper struggled with her breathing or her ankles got very swollen, they had bought a bunch of extra pillows to keep Ashlyn a little propelled up in bed, not lying flat, and then also to lift her feet up a little. So Ali made sure all the pillows were in place and her wife was properly tucked in bed before she stood up to leave.

“Where are you going now?” Ashlyn murmured half opening her eyes as she felt her weight off the mattress.

“I'm just going to eat something. I haven't eaten anything in hours, I'm starved.”

“Will you come lie with me once you've eaten?”

“If you want me to,” Ali was feeling deflated, not knowing what else to do for her wife, when nothing seemed enough.

“Yeah,” Ashlyn closed her eyes again, “I do.”

“Okay then, see you in a bit.”

Ali left the door ajar for the dogs to come in and out, as lately they were stuck to Ashlyn's belly, and went about her routine. She ate, had a quick shower to get rid of the sweat of the day, and got into her pyjamas before returning to the kitchen to get some snacks and some juice for Ashlyn, in case she was hungry. She left it all on a tray by the bed, with a lid on top in case the dogs wanted to sneak a peek, and for a moment, she merely watched Ashlyn sleep. Her breathing often interrupted as she scowled and made a pained gesture before relaxing again, signalling their boy wasn't making everything too easy.

At last, the brunette slid under the sheets with Ashlyn, wrapping an arm around her. She felt Ashlyn lean backwards against her touch, and with her hand sought to feel Maverick's kicks, which she soon noticed. They certainly were raising a son with sporty DNA, no doubt. Ali knew how children could split couples apart. It happened to both sets of Maverick's grandparents, and now it could happen to them, already holding grudges and resentment before the baby was even here. So she closed her eyes, kissed Ashlyn's back where she could reach, and tried her best to forget her frustration. It'll pass. The only thing that really mattered was to get their child, and she had to be understanding. After all, Ashlyn's pregnancy had been particularly tough, and if Ali felt drained by it and done with it, she couldn't imagine how Ashlyn must feel.

And then just like that, Ali found herself awake again, a moment later registering the sound of Ashlyn crying. She could count with the fingers of one hand the amount of times she had seen Ashlyn cry out of sadness in all the years they had been together previous to the pregnancy, but she had lost count on the amount of times her wife had cried during her pregnancy, for one reason or another. Now, however, the fact that Ashlyn was sitting up and struggling with her breathing and heaving only told Ali that this time, it was serious. She instantly sat up, turning the ceiling light on to get a better view, and worried.

“Ashlyn, what's happening?”

“I c-can't I...” Ashlyn was full on panicking. She couldn't breath, which made her anxious about her inability to breathe, which only made her panic more and her breathing harden more. “I-I...”

“It's okay,” Ali opened a window to get some fresh air inside and helped Ashlyn move so that she had her back against Ali's front and her head over Ali's shoulder. “Deep breaths, you can do it,” Ali fanned air towards Ashlyn's face.

“I- can't, can't...”

“You can. You're okay,” Ali reassured her, feeling for her pulse with her free hand. “You have two perfectly healthy lungs and a heart of an athlete, you've been passing medical evaluations monthly with flying colours, and you're young, you're healthy, you're capable, you're strong. You're just stressed out baby, but I've got you.”

Ali did her best to remain calm, knowing that talking gave Ashlyn something to focus on other than her own panic. She knew Ashlyn wasn't having some cardiac issue, because she had been with her long enough to know how her panic or anxiety attacks looked like, even when it had been a long time since the last one. And this was full panic, she knew it in her heart.

“Air, air...” Ashlyn pleaded, trying to take deep breaths and heaving.

“Here, here...” Ali wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, fanning with her free hand. “Just focus on my heartbeat and breathe.” With Ali's chest against her back, Ashlyn should be able to feel the beating heart.

Eventually, Ashlyn calmed down and rubbed off the tears that had fallen on her cheeks. She was trembling and shaken-up, exhausted and not feeling all right, but wordlessly separated from Ali, who watched stupefied, and snuggled back in bed.

“Thanks,” was all Ashlyn said.

For a moment, Ali sat there, not knowing what to say or do. Was Ashlyn that angry at her? What was going on? She went over the week in her head. She had been waking up at seven every day to get ready for training and practice, or for the gym, and often between one thing and another she didn't return home until past six. But every morning she had left breakfast ready for her wife, sometimes she even had time to cook her some lunch, but Ashlyn was the chef in the house anyway, and she was always back in time for dinner and evening snuggles, and never missed a doctor's appointment no matter what. And their families and friends had visited while she wasn't there, and she called Ashlyn often, texted through the day, did any necessary shopping... where had she fucked up after eight months?

“I get you're drained now,” Ali murmured at last, turning the lights off. “But this isn't over and tomorrow we need to talk, Ashlyn. Goodnight.”

She turned to the other side in bed and closed her eyes, and this time, nothing woke her up.

Ashlyn was up first in the morning. She still felt tired, but could feel Maverick was chilling out now and she was a bit more rested so, knowing it was Ali's one day off a week and she didn't need to be up early, she left her sleep and went downstairs, getting a quick breakfast before doing an hour of electric bicycle in the living room to keep her legs stretching, and then going to the backyard with the dogs to play fetch, exercising her arms with throwing the objects.

When she returned inside, she saw Ali sitting at the kitchen island drinking coffee and having a bowl of cereal.

“Morning,” said Ashlyn, walking over to the sofa.

“Morning,” Ali murmured in return, eyeing her for a moment before returning her attention to the news on her phone. “Want to go to the park? We could sit while the dogs play, enjoy some fresh air and stretch the legs some. The doctor said it'd be good for you to walk, right?”

“Which is why I've done over an hour of electric bicycle so far, plus half an hour outdoors playing with the girls,” Ashlyn snuggled on the sofa. “I'm very tired Ali, I'll wait here while you girls go to the park.”

“Okay, well at least you're doing what the doctor says, good. I'll stay home then, I'm tired too.”

“Good.”

Ali glanced at her and sighed, shaking her head, before going over to clean the dishes. She then walked over to the living area and sat on the other side of the corner sofa Ashlyn was occupying, staring at her wife, who was merely resting while watching TV and rubbing Storm's hair mindlessly.

“Yesterday I got the confirmation for the start of my maternity leave. I can start on the 29th, just a few weeks before the due date, and reincorporate in late September on time for the NWSL semifinals if we make it that far. I'd just have to play a couple weeks and then I'll be back home to be with you two until January's first international camp. And I called the USWNT people, I told them I'm taking the rest of the year off international duty as part of my maternity leave, to focus on our family.” Ali explained. “Great, isn't it?”

“Yes.”

Ali huffed.

“Okay, what did I do now Ash? Why are you so mad at me?”

“What else do you want me to say, damn it?” Ashlyn snapped, turning the TV off. “Do you want me to applaud you for doing the bare minimum anyone should do when their spouse is giving birth? Is that it?”

“You've been on the offensive with me pretty much since I came here yesterday, if you have something to say, then say it! You don't get to just say things like you're all alone, that I'm hardly here, and then refuse to talk about it!”

·”Oh so we're talking about it now? I thought we were just waking Maverick up from his nap!”

Ali puffed.

“Ashlyn...” the younger woman looked indignant but she took a deep breath to calm herself and sat up. “Come on, what's happening to us babe? I just want us to be okay, I'm sorry if I've hurt you some way but you have to tell me...”

Ashlyn sighed, shaking her head.

“You think you're doing enough because you see the poor example Dom, our Dads, or whoever else gave when their wives were pregnant and you think that next to them you're doing pretty well. And you are but thing is Ali, next to a shit example is not hard to do better than that and still it doesn't mean it's enough.”

“So I'm not doing enough.”

“No, you aren't.”

“What else do you want me to do? Iron clothes? Clean around more often? Do the gardening?”

“Is it much to ask you to just be here?” Ashlyn pleaded tiredly. “Please. No more travelling everywhere constantly, no more disappearing from the house for nine or ten hours a day pretty much daily? Can't you just take the maternity leave already?”

“Sure, but I don't get it Ashlyn, shouldn't I be out there making money for our family? We have two dogs and a baby all of the sudden when a year ago we had neither, and we're on minus one salary Ash, do you think I take so much work on my shoulders purely out of joy? Don't you think I'd much rather be here witnessing every little pregnancy milestone and feeling my son kicking? But someone needs to be making money here, especially if we're going to go months with no income whatsoever, I don't see how me sitting here most of the time instead of being a money maker help us.”

“We have money, we don't have to stress about it for now, okay? We have publicity deals, and I'm working on stuff for Umbro, there are things happening, and our savings are way more than all of our family members combined have,” said Ashlyn. “It just... don't you see how much I need you here?”

“Having in count the way last night you pushed me away, and now again this morning no, to be honest. You pass from me, and to be honest if I have to choose between feeling useful training my arse off or being given the cold shoulder constantly by my wife, I think I've got my preferences clear.”

Ashlyn shook her head in disbelief, puffing.

“Go then Ali, if you don't want to be here just go.”

“That's not what I'm saying Ashlyn, what I'm saying is why are you giving me the cold shoulder these days? It's not even just today or yesterday it's for weeks, I come home you don't want to talk, you're always just tired, you don't want to do anything, you dismiss me—,”

“It's not all about you, for fuck's sakes! Okay? You're taking everything so bloody personal Ali!”

“How else am I supposed to take it?!” Ali retorted, indignant.

“How about considering that if I don't want to talk when you return, or go out, or do anything, is because as much as I've missed you, you've missed ten hours of my day and I'm actually twice as drained as I say I am? How about you take seriously how I say I feel and bloody start to understand my level of exhaustion is beyond your comprehension, but not any less real for that? How about instead of assuming whatever way I behave with you is not an indication of my love for you or lack of it, but of the fact that I'm eight months pregnant, shitting my pants, alone most of the day every day, trying not to be a weight on my wife's shoulders or anyone else's, and suffering from more symptoms from the list of worst pregnancy shit stuff than anyone we know?!”

“So is that it? You haven't been feeling well, is that all? Because you could tell me Ash, I'm asking you fifty times a day, I text you asking all the time, and you're always saying you're fine when you're not, why do you do that?”

“Because, and not to repeat myself but I AM TIRED.” Ashlyn released a long puff, shaking her head. “I don't have the energy to tell you about the ten hours you've missed every day! And fine, I'll accept it's a shit strategy to lie and just say I'm fine but truth be told Ali, is the least exhausting one, and there was a time when you didn't need to be asking me constantly because you just knew, sometimes even before me, just like I'd do with you. In fact if you were here, you wouldn't need to ask. You'd have to be blind not to see how I'm feeling.”

“Right,” Ali had enough. She stood up and walked over to Ashlyn, flopping next to her and turning to face her with her whole body, taking one of her hands between hers. “Well I wasn't here, and I'm sorry, but like I said, I was trying to do what I thought was best for our family Ashlyn. I'd much rather be here, I just didn't think it was the responsible choice.”

“I know,” Ashlyn nodded, tired. “We should've discussed it... Ali I really wanted you to be able to continue playing till the end, I really did, and I'm sorry, but I can't,” she shook her head, her eyes glassy. “I don't feel fine. I can't do this alone.”

“You're not alone,” Ali reassured her, squeezing her hand. “What's wrong? Why are you feeling so down?”

“I'm terrified Ali. I'm having way more symptoms than anyone I know, the hyperemesis gravidarum, the dizziness, the shortness of breath, the fatigue... is like everything is multiplied by twenty and none of the pregnancies I've known of were like this, pregnancies just look happy and chirpy in the books and the movies and it freaks me out that mine is not like that and I don't have any example of anyone who had it like this and can reassure me it ends well,” said Ashlyn getting emotional, her voice wrecked with emotion. “I get panic attacks every single day Ali,” Ali frowned, astonished, “and I don't want to be the weak pregnant woman who's less than any other pregnant woman and needs her partner here all the time like the others didn't, but Maverick keeps me awake all night, and I know the tests keep saying I'm perfectly fine but I don't feel fine,” she rambled on. “I feel bloody miserable all the time and thinking that I might faint or have an issue and be all alone doesn't help to take away from my anxiety, okay? I need to know if anything happens you're here, not... not in bloody New Jersey or something...”

Ali stared shocked and saddened at the confession.

“Baby, and you're not telling any of this to anyone? This is important to know babe, I get I'm not here but you need to at least tell me simply you don't fell well, not have me thinking all is good, because if I had any idea I'd be here with you. I will be here with you,” said Ali.

“I know, I'm sorry...”

“Does the doctor know?”

“Yes, I told her, she said all is normal, that a small percentage of women in the country do get really shitty feelings but that as long as the tests come clean, I shouldn't worry too much.”

“Okay,” Ali nodded, cupped her face and kissed her. “I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. And everything is going to be just fine, okay? I won't let anything happen to you or our baby boy.”

“That's all I needed to know,” Ashlyn murmured, and Ali moved to hug her properly, letting her wife lean against her chest. Tiger Krieger was not going anywhere.

  
  



	7. Little dude

**Chapter 7: Little dude.**

They were still in disbelief. After more hours than they had fingers to count, more pain than it was imaginable, and an unreal level of exhaustion and effort, their little boy was finally with them in the flesh. Both mothers sat together on the hospital bed, staring at their kiddo while he breastfed for the first time, none of them quite believing that they were so blessed and lucky. That this was real life, for good.

And then suddenly, Ashlyn snorted a laugh and began to snigger, causing Ali to turn to her in amusement.

“What?”

“We have a baby,” said Ashlyn with a smile on her face. “Ali, we have a full person here. And I cooked it, in my belly! This is insane!” Ali chuckled, nodding.

“It is, isn't it?” Ali pressed her lips meaningfully against her temple. “I'm so proud of you. And so in love.”

“Me too,” Ashlyn sighed in content, supporting her head on Ali's chest while staring at their brand new son. He had arrived right on his due date to provide one thing that went according to the plan in this pregnancy, and he had a good weight, long body, feet that, to Ali's immense relief, contained no velociraptor toes and no odd malformations, and a dense mane of dark hair paired with a Krieger chin and lips, a perky nose, full cheeks and cloudy eyes framed by thousands of dark lashes. “He's so bloody handsome, gee.”

“He's insanely perfect, like everything you do,” Ali wrapped her arms a little tighter around them. “God my heart is so full...”

“I'm so tired though... oh look at that the lil bastard is napping!” they giggled at his fists, relaxed like paws with his mouth open.

“Hey, mister, excuse me,” Ali tickled his belly to get him back to action. “Time to eat so we can let Momma rest. I'll take him to see the family once he's done and you can sleep.”

“What if I just close my eyes and you unplug him when he's done?”

Ali smirked, pecking her lips.

“Sounds wonderful love.”

Ali waited for another half an hour until deciding an hour was enough time and, seeing Maverick was sleeping again, she carefully took him and put him against her shoulder, slowly standing up and kissing the top of his soft hairy head. He was so ridiculously cute, even more so in his shark jumpsuit. Ashlyn woke up feeling the weight off her arms and the cold air in her nipple, and grinned sleepily, seeing her loves together.

“You guys... I'll never get tired of seeing you two together.”

Ali beamed at her, and leaned to kiss her and quickly tuck her in bed.

“You have a nap, uh? You deserve it.”

“Okay,” Ashlyn was already succumbing to the warmth and comfort of the bed, while the nurse checked her IVs.

“I'll be right back,” Ali told the nurse, who smiled and nodded.

“No worries, I'll take care of her.”

Their closest relatives had been waiting just outside in the waiting room for the past couple hours, patiently, and now Ali was excited as hell to introduce them to little Maverick. Ashlyn's parents and step-parents, her brother, and Ali's brother, parents and step-father were all there, waiting.

“Hello,” Ali said softly, arriving into the room with the biggest grin, and everybody stood up full of excitement all of the sudden. Kyle was already with his camera, for a change. “Let me introduce you to Maverick Kyle Krieger-Harris.” They had only told their family the baby name was Maverick, so Kyle was utterly surprised to know his name had been given to his nephew.

“Aww, look at that Kyle!” Kenneth congratulated his son, smiling and patting his pack. “And how's the other Mama?”

“She's super tired, sleeping a little bit,” Ali let them crowd around to see up close. “But okay.”

“He's so handsome,” Tammye marvelled. “Does he look like a baby Krieger?”

“Oh definitely,” Debbie nodded, grinning. “Just like his Uncle Kyle.”

“Really?” Kyle chuckled. “Lucky dude! I have better eyebrows than Ali.”

“I haven't written his name on the papers yet so careful there,” Ali threatened jokingly, actually amused. “Which reminds me...” she elbowed her brother-in-law. “Wanna hold your Godson?”

“My Godson? I'm his Godfather?” Christopher's jaw dropped in amazement. “I've never been anyone's Godfather, are you sure?”

“Ashlyn and I had a full agreement you were the ideal one, no need to even debate it,” Ali said proudly, grinning at him. “Come on.”

“Oh my God...” Christopher excitedly took the boy. “He's so tiny... I promise to never read the Bible to him and never take him to Church.” They laughed, and Ali nodded.

“We wouldn't expect anything else!”

They returned home the next day, and as Ali walked upstairs in their house to let Ashlyn know lunch was ready, she stopped in her tracks hearing Ashlyn talking with Maverick through the bedroom door, which was always adorable to hear.

“These are gloves, you use them to catch the balls okay?” Ashlyn was sweetly explaining, making Ali grin. “You don't have to play soccer, but if you decide to do so, you better be a goalkeeper like Momma because _I_ didn't go through nine months of torture to see you become a forward, all right?” her voice remained sweet and loving, which made Ali laugh, covering her mouth to avoid being heard. If this was how having a child was going to be with Ashlyn, she couldn't wait to have many more.

Ali knocked on the door and came in, laughing as Ashlyn used Maverick's hand to send flying kisses to her.

“Okay flatterer, now that our boy is ready for a nap,” Ali carefully took him, seeing his eyes struggling to remain open and his mouth open into tiny, adorable yawns. “Let's put him to bed, and you're coming with me.” She put him on the crib, kissed him goodnight, waited for Ashlyn to do the same and adjust the baby monitor camera, and then took her wife's hand out of the room.

“Is that lunch?”

“Yep,” Ali turned to kiss her before continuing down the stairs.

They had a romantic lunch, because Ali thought her wife deserved it all, and then Ali took her for dancing in the living room. As they swayed together, arms around each other, to their wedding song playing very softly, so they could hear Maverick if her cried, Ashlyn grinned, pressing their foreheads together.

“I'm so in love with you and the life we've built.”

“Don't you miss soccer?”

“Every time I do, Maverick or you manage to make me wish I had done this way sooner,” Ashlyn said, leaning down and kissing her deeply, trying to show her just how much she meant to her.


	8. A man between the ladies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, couldn't find more to write for this one :)

**Chapter 8: A man between the ladies.**

Ali was so looking forwards to baby hangouts with the USWNT. It took a while, as she was on maternity leave and also Ashlyn was everything Maverick wanted for the first four or five months, but finally at month six, Ali was back in USWNT camps and since it started in Tampa, Ashlyn consented on paying them a visit with baby Maverick.

“Aren't you the cutest?” Sydney was blowing raspberries on his belly as he gurgled and kicked his legs in the air.

“My turn! I haven't had him in ten minutes!” Megan demanded rushing to them. They were in Ali's hotel room, and the two mothers sat on the bed near their son, backs against the headboard, holding hands and enjoying their company.

“I would've thought they'd miss me,” Ashlyn murmured jokingly. “But they're only obsessed about him.”

“Feel lucky our kiddo has the best fierce aunties,” Ali grinned, kissing her cheek, still in disbelief that this was her life.

Surely being Maverick's caretaker or, as Ashlyn jokingly said, slave, was very hard. The baby seemed to have Ali's ability to sleep and Ashlyn's ability to get in trouble, so he'd sleep for hours, deeply, but when he was awake he was a force to of nature, unstoppable, a beast they couldn't take the eyes off for one moment. Now, however, it was, okay, he had twelve pairs of eyes staring at him, but normally, even more when it was just Ashlyn and him, it was tremendous. The baby had started to slid around the floor, pushing himself around, and he'd move so fast he was likely to have fallen downstairs before Ashlyn could see were he was and get him, so she often had to keep pulling him back towards her every time he tried to go on a little adventure. And then, when he wasn't tired, he was impossible to put for a nap and go to bed. He'd cry and cry and Ashlyn had never had such bags under her eyes. And he ate like a castaway.

“I gotta use the toilet,” Ashlyn whispered to Ali's ear before getting up. She was truly peeing herself so she didn't stop when Maverick started crying, but when she came back, she knew it was all an act. She walked over to the boy, who Ali was holding in an attempt to calm him down, and extended her hands towards him. The minute she had him, he stopped crying altogether and closed his eyes against her chest, making the team laugh.

“Crocodile tears!” Kelley giggled in amusement. “Smart dude!”

“He doesn't like to lose sight of Ashlyn, ever,” Ali explained, also amused.

Ashlyn sat down smug to breastfeed him, and then the adoration of the newborn continued, commenting just how handsome he was, how much he looked like the Krieger siblings, how cute his little dimple -a very Harris thing he had somehow gotten- was, and how long and what good legs he had. And Ashlyn was smug as hell because well, she had made him.

One of the best parts of the baby being entertained and worn out by the ladies of the team was that when the day came to an end, Maverick was almost begging to sleep. So since Ali's room had two big beds, Ashlyn placed him in the middle of the other one, putting all the pillows of both beds around him as a barrier, and walked over to her wife in the bed right next.

“You know,” Ali smirked as she put her arms around her woman's waist, letting her stand between her legs, that hung over the side of the bed. She was feeling extra happy after watching her wife and son cheer for her in the stadium, both wearing AK caps and being adorable, “you're looking exceptionally sexy even for yourself, lady.”

“I have gone back to working out,” Ashlyn admitted pecking her lips, and Ali's hands squeezed her biceps, smiling against her lips.

“I see,” Ali was getting incredibly turned on, but it had been nine months with no sexual contact with her wife, who hadn't been in the mood, nor feeling so well. “Hey, Maverick is deep asleep, he won't wake up, and if we're not too loud...”

“Stop talking,” Ashlyn cupped her face and kissed her hard, fully showing her she had already been thinking about what she wanted to do with their free time. Ali moaned against her lips and definitely stopped talking, falling backwards on the bed and bringing Ashlyn onto the bed with her.

The former goalkeeper was still a few pounds over her regular weight pre-pregnancy, but it was all right. Ali made sure to reassure her that she was still attractive, beautiful and perfect, and she truly felt that she was, it wasn't just words. And Ashlyn considered that the miracle of life was worth a few extra pounds, and carried them proudly. Who cared if her abs weren't fully defined anymore, she had made a person. A person! Like, what?

Once camp was over a week later, Ali returned home to Orlando to find her son had grown unexpected and unfair amounts in one week.

“What happened to you?” Ali scooped him up, covering his round face in kisses. “Oh I see Mama did your hair didn't she?” she grinned, staring at his beautiful brown eyes and caressing his soft dark brown wavy hair, that Ashlyn had brushed back. Now his mane had a little hole in the back from rubbing with surfaces when he slept, but it was fine. It'd grow back.

“I'm sorry, I kept telling him to stop growing but to be fair Ali, he's a Krieger, if he's going to be short like you I kinda would rather he grows a bit now.” Ashlyn came over to kiss her. “How was the flight?”

“Hell compared with this,” Ali beamed, kissing her again. “I missed you.”

“Me too. I love you,” Ashlyn chuckled, kissing her over and over. “Guess who's babbling now.”

“Babbling? But you're six months! Stop it,” Ali looked amazed at their son. “You can't be so smart. Nope, you can't,” her voice turned sillier and sillier, and she kissed his cheek soundly while Ashlyn giggled. “Can't we just have family snuggles for like ten days?”

“Anything you want, love.”

Ali grinned at her family. It was good to be home.


End file.
